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Kismet
features the creative talents of Melissa Holding,
Katherine Lucas and Jackie
Singer, each of them a singer, instrumentalist, composer and
arranger.
Along
with three beautifully matched voices, they play between them
clarinet, whistles, fiddle, mandola, accordion, percussion, shamisen
(Japanese banjo) and koto (Japanese harp). With such a rich palette
of sounds, textures and dynamics at their disposal, Kismet can
take you from a wild Romanian dance to a haunting Celtic lullaby,
via a French cafe or a Japanese monastery.
"Kismet
transport us to a wonderland of music and fun - we want to dance
and sing with those traveling gypsies!"
History
Since forming in 2001 Kismet have played concerts in town halls,
churches, abbeys, sheds and cafés, arboretums and botanic
gardens in and around Oxfordshire and contributed their music
to festivals, community events, celebrations, wakes, weddings,
and fashions shows.
They
have also collaborated with storytellers, poets and dancers and
provided music for theatre pieces.
In
2005 Kismet were commissioned by the University of Oxford Botanic
Gardens to create and perform new work for five festivals with
themes relating to plants and people, as part of an Arts Council
funded residency. Some of this material is available on their
forthcoming CD.

"Kismet
are a fantastically diverse and talented group. They have the
ability to engage an audience of any age, as well as a knack of
encouraging even the most inexperienced or self-conscious to join
in, have a go and enjoy themselves! Their performances are always
thoughtfully researched and beautifully delivered."
Emma
Williams, Education Officer University of Oxford Botanic Garden
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Melissa
Holding (voice, accordion, shamisen, koto)
Melissa
started her musical life playing the piano aged 5 and later studied
at the Royal College of Music and City University in London. Having
been exposed to Japanese music, she was inspired to learn the koto
(13-stringed Japanese harp) and in 1993 was awarded a scholarship
from the Japanese government to study in Kyoto Japan.
During
seven years studying, performing and teaching in Kyoto Melissa also
founded East Whistle, a 4-piece band with whom she played piano
accordion, specialising in Celtic and Eastern European folk music.
They toured in Japan, Poland and the US giving concerts and playing
for contra dances ending up at the Black Mountain Folk Festival,
North Carolina. Their CD is named Locust in the Beehive.
More
recently Melissa has composed, arranged and performed for the National
Theatre and is currently a member of the contemporary music ensemble
Okeanos, who commission works from both young and established composers.
They have performed at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival,
the Spitalfields Festival and the BMIC Cutting Edge series of concerts
at the Warehouse in London. Okeanos was recently featured on BBC
Radio 3's Hear and Now program.
Melissa
lives in Oxford with her husband and daughter.
www.melissaholding.co.uk
www.okeanos.co.uk
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Katherine
Lucas (voice, clarinet, whistles, percussion)
Coming
from a classical music background, Kath's music making has been
influenced by her travels around the world and her discovery of
natural voice work and improvisation.
For
the past nine years she has taught singing to community, school,
theatre and business groups predominantly in and around Oxfordshire.
The workshops Kath leads in Charlbury where she lives centre around
the 'Wheel of the Year' bringing not only seasonal music to the
community but an opportunity to mark the passage of the year with
related activities, food and ritual. She also runs a lively community
choir and has organised many performances for both the choir and
visiting musicians. Much of her time is now spent researching, writing
and arranging music, which is a constant source of delight!
Kath
has been part of the vocal ensembles Amariah and Frabjous Day. Now
with Kismet, she is often the bringer of new music, both her own
compositions and gems found through her love of searching out the
unusual.
She
has one lovely teenage daughter.
Katherine
Lucas - Community Singing
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Jackie
Singer (violin, voice, mandola, storytelling)
Jackie
has played the violin from a young age, and made the break from
classical to folk music as a founder member of the medieval folk
band Jabberwocky, who performed at festivals, castles and banquets
during the 1990s. Simultaneously, she formed Tiger Moon as a vehicle
for her singer-songwriting and released her first solo CD (She is
Gold) in 2003.
In
Kismet Jackie brings her instrumental, singing and song-writing
skills together. From time to time she also draws on her experience
as a storyteller to throw a tale into the pot of words and music
that Kismet cooks up.
Jackie
also lives in East Oxford, with her partner and baby daughter.
www.jackiesinger.co.uk
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